The Perfect Secretary
by thewarlockandtheshadowhunter
Summary: Kingsley Shacklebolt hates interviews. Then Katie Bell walks in and makes his day - no more interviews for him. Written for Round 10 of the Quidditch Fanfiction competition.


**Written for round 10 of the Quidditch Leagues fanfiction competition.**

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Kingsley groaned once his office door was once again securely shut. He hated doing interviews for new members of staff. Now his secretary was leaving and there was no way to avoid it. He wasn't stupid enough to think that he could be Minsiter of Magic without a secretary - the job was hard enough with one, he didn't want to think about what it would be like without one.

He'd been doing interviews all day, yet still he couldn't find anyone that was as good as his current secretary. Then again, Sarah was quite brilliant, it was going to be hard to find someone as good as her. Unless of course, Hermione Granger walked in, -the two were very similar- but he knew that wasn't going to happen. He knew she'd applied for a job in a different department, although he couldn't remember which one at that precise moment.

He quickly composed himself, arranging his features so that they were in a welcome and pleasant expression, as the door opened. "The next candidate, Minister," Sarah informed him as she ushered in a young girl who looked like she'd only been out of Hogwarts for a few years.

"Thank you, Sarah," his soon to be ex-secretary nodded and closed the door. "Please, sit down," Kingsley gestured to the comfortable chair in front of his desk. The girl nodded, murmuring a thank you as she sat down. If he hadn't been trained as Auror to see past the emotions people portrayed, he would not have noticed the small signs of nerves in the girl. However, they were there. The slight fidget, the way her dark eyes flicked from area to area at great speed as she assessed the room.

"Alright, so Miss..." He looked down at the list of candidates in front of him. "Bell?" He glanced up and saw her small nod. "Miss Bell, what made you apply for the position?"

The girl who he now knew to be Katie Bell, pondered the question. "Because this is my kind of job," she said finally. "It's simple, yet challenging. I know how fast paced your job can be Minister, and I am perfectly able to adapt to be even faster so that you will never fall behind."

That was interesting. No one had given him that answer today, and the last person who'd given him such a determined look was sitting outside with a well payed Secretary job. Maybe Kingsley's prayers had been answered.

"Is that so?" He smiled, the expression more genuine than it had been when Katie had walked in. "Do you have any experience as a secretary?"

She shook her head, "No," she admitted, seeming reluctant to admit the one thing that could potentially be observed as a weakness. "But I'm a fast learner," she added, "I'm sure that could make up for my lack of experience."

Kinsley nodded. He was already half certain that he wanted Katie Bell to be his new Secretary. However, two questions did not count as a full interview or enough evidence to prove that she was definitely the right one for the job. "Where have your places of previous employment been?"

"Well, I worked at the Weasley joke shop for a while. That's been about it really," she answered. That was good, he'd been to the joke shop quite a few times - that meant she was used to a fast paced environment.

"Do you have your references with you?"

She nodded, handing over a piece of parchment. One from Minererva Gonagall, George Weasley and Oliver Wood. He put them down on the table, feeling even more certain that she was to be his new secretary. It wasn't just anyone who got a reference from Minerva and he hasn't argued with her before. A smart move on his part, as he knew that if he dared things would not end well for him. Only a fool argued with her.

"Would you consider yourself a people person?" He asked. Sarah had told him it was an important question to include, so he had followed her advice.

Katie nodded. "Yes. I know it's important to remain pleasant, even if you don't like the person you're talking to," she sounded as if she had had a lot of experience with that, "And I have no problem talking to new people."

He nodded slightly as she spoke, "Good," he murmured, pulling her application form towards him when he spotted it on his desk. He read over it silently. "Very impressive," he murmured as he saw her grades from Hogwarts. He put the form back down, looking up to see a faint blush on Katie's face, coupled with a proud smile.

"Thank you, Minister."

"I only have one question left," he informed her.

She nodded, "Yes, Minister?"

"When can you start?"

Katie stared at him in shock for a few moments before regaining her composure. "Whenever you would want me to start," she answered hopefully.

Kingsley smiled. "How does tomorrow morning sound?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't going to do any more interviews when the perfect person for the job was sitting right in front of him.

She nodded, grinning. "Tomorrow morning sounds perfect," she started, clearly excited although trying to keep some of her composure.

The Minister softly chuckled, "That's what I thought too. I shall see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Minister. I'll see you tomorrow," with those parting words, she got up and left the office. Kingsley grinned - he'd definitely made the right decision.


End file.
